Google To Release Google Wave To Beta Testers On Wednesday

Google
plans to begin testing a new product called Google Wave tomorrow. This new Web
application combines elements of email, chat, Wiki documents, blogs, and
photo-sharing sites in order to create a hosted conversation or "wave"
of Internet communication.

Google first demonstrated Wave at the Google I/O developer
conference in San Francisco, California, in May. The product will initially be available
to approximately 100,000 beta testers. This closed group will help the company find
any bugs in the application before it is released to the public later this year.

The application was created by brothers Jens and Lars
Rasmussen, the same pair who developed Google Maps. The Rasmussen brothers hope
Google Wave will eventually replace email as the main form of communication
via the Internet.

Using Wave, email-like communications can be edited by
several users simultaneously. Users can also chat about specific sections of
Wave documents in real time. Should a person join the conversation after it has
started, they can replay everything they've missed.

The product has been cheered by many tech bloggers. However,
there are some concerns that the application may be too complicated for the
average or mainstream Web user.

The Rasmussens describe the product in much greater detail
in an hour and 20 minute video, available at http://wave.google.com/.